Definitions for pigeonholing

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word pigeonholing

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grouping, pigeonholing(noun)

a system for classifying things into groups

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pigeonholing(Noun)

the classification of disparate entities into categories, not always for the right reason

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Pigeonholing

Pigeonholing is any process that attempts to classify disparate entities into a small number of categories.
The term usually carries connotations of criticism, implying that the classification scheme referred to inadequately reflects the entities being sorted, or that it is based on stereotypes.
Common failings of pigeonholing schemes include:
⁕Categories are poorly defined.
⁕Entities may be suited to more than one category. Example: rhubarb is both 'poisonous' and 'edible'.
⁕Entities may not fit into any available category. Example: asking somebody from Washington, DC which state they live in.
⁕Entities may change over time, so they no longer fit the category in which they have been placed. Example: certain species of fish may change from male to female during their life.
⁕Attempting to discretize properties that would be better viewed as a continuum. Example: attempting to sort people into 'introverted' and 'extroverted'.
⁕Criteria used to categorize entities do not accurately predict the properties ascribed to those categories. Example: relying on astrological sign as a guide to someone's personality.